Illustration and Cartoons by Paul Combs

Main menu

Monthly Archives: July 2017

There is a lot of derisive talk these days about appropriate aggressive tactics and when to use them… or not to use them… and quite a few people are making a name for themselves preaching the extremes on both sides of the banter. “Believe and act the way I do or you’re a coward,” or “science and risk aversion is the only true way of the fire service!” The pendulum swings to the extreme far right and left, and common sense is somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately there is so much divisive chatter going on that it feels as if common sense is an ugly four-armed green-headed alien stepchild. The simple truth is the vast majority of firefighters and chief officers know the limitations of their manpower, training, and equipment to make the appropriate strategic calls regardless of all the Monday morning chiefs, keyboard warriors, and self-promoting mavens out there. Saves are being made and fires are being extinguished every single day around this country – all without the help of the experts.

Perhaps we should all just take a step back and heed the immortal words of Sgt. Hulka from the movie Stripes, “Lighten up, Francis!”

Share this:

Like this:

About The Artist:

Paul is a classically trained artist, award-winning illustrator, and firefighter/EMT. That’s right, this unlikely combination has made Paul one of the most compelling and distinctive illustrators in America today. Paul burst onto the scene with a refreshing new style that married classical realism, manic energy, and a zany imagination for caricature. His lavishly detailed illustrations are published worldwide in newspapers, magazines (print and online), and books. His politically charged editorial cartoons are syndicated world-wide by Tribune Media Services/Tribune Content Agency.

In conjunction with his career as an illustrator, Paul is a twenty-year veteran of the fire service where he is a Firefighter II, NREMT, HazMat Technician, and Instructor for the City of Bryan Fire Training Academy.
Paul is also an FDIC H.O.T. instructor and presenter, and an adjunct instructor for the Ohio Fire Academy.